


You're Now Free

by nickisgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 00:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6634153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickisgirl/pseuds/nickisgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rewrite of the last fifteen minutes of the series finale. I put in what it would be like if Neal had actually died.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Now Free

Peter Burke stood before the body bag that held his best friend. He tried to hold back the tears when Neal had said just minutes before that he was his best friend, thinking that Neal would survive this. Even poor Mozzie who stood beside him, thinks so otherwise as well. But the moment the body bag was unzipped and the pair stared down at a lifeless body of Neal, their horrors came true. He was dead. The nightmare continued for poor Peter even as he had sat outside of the room where his friend and former partner was lying in. He was now standing in front of the room with the doctor who was inside with him, handing him bags of stuff that Neal had with him. Inside that bag was everything that he had with him. Even as the man spoke, Peter couldn't believe this was happening. "One identification badge, 16 credit cards, various names, 12 hotel key cards, various hotels, a .38-caliber bullet for evidence. One white pocket square, one key, one tracking anklet." As he did so, Peter held the anklet that Neal had up to his death, in his hands. The only thing that he could say was something he wished he said before. "You're free. You're free." And then he sat on the chair, and sobbed.

A YEAR LATER

A year had gone by. The funeral took place at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Everyone was there-Mozzie, Elizabeth, June, Peter, and even those who worked with Neal in the division. No James though. However, he had sent flowers for the funeral. Neal was dressed in his three piece suit and a fedora was on his head. In his hands he held a Queen of Spades card that Mozzie had tearfully placed in. Neal looked so peaceful in the coffin. Peter had thought that at one moment that he'd open his eyes. "Hey, lookee, lookee, lookee," Mozzie's voice said, breaking Peter's train of thoughts. He was standing at the corner of the street at the same spot that Mozzie had first met Neal. And, like always, an unsuspected crowd hovered over him, not knowing that they'd be swindled. "Hey, diddle diddle, the Queen's in the middle. Follow her fast. Follow her slow. You pick that little Lady, and you win!" A woman sadly didn't get the prize.  
"Oh, too bad, honey. Better luck next time," Mozzie said. "So, any other takers?"  
"Yeah, I'll play," another person perked up.  
"Oh, okay. I gotta go. I'm out." Peter had just approached the table when Moz said so and after everyone left, Mozzie turned towards Peter. "Suit."  
"Been a while, Moz," Peter said.  
"To what do I owe this pleasure?"  
"We've got all the Panthers serving life, but somehow, a matter of $23 million went unaccounted for."   
"Oh, that just sounds like sloppy government accounting."   
"Mm, almost 9 million was recovered from Keller that day. You wouldn't have any idea where the other went?" Moz, being Moz, went into a defense mode, hiding away the fact that it was he who took the other money.  
"I earn an honest living now."  
"I can see that."  
"How are you, Peter?"  
"I see him, you know?" Peter replied. "I'll catch him out of the corner of my eye, and just for a minute, he's real."  
"I hear him. 'Hey, Moz,' in the roar of a subway going by or his laugh in a taxi horn. I turn, but he's never there. 'Oh, you can't help that,' said the cat. 'We're all mad here.' I keep telling myself, if I'd just got there a minute sooner..."  
"Ah, Stage Three... bargaining. Myself, Stage Four. Depression? I would've figured you for denial."  
"No more conspiracy theories." Mozzie chuckles. He raises a Queen card. "This is the Queen he played me with the day we met. He conned me right here on this spot." He chuckles, remembering the day. "He gave me this card just before the job, and for the longest time, I thought he knew. He knew he was gonna die, so he gave me this to say good-bye. And if he knew that, well, it must have been a con. Neal Caffrey's greatest con. But it wasn't. Thus, I move from denial to depression."  
"You should stop by the house sometime. El misses you, and you have to see the boy."  
Mozzie laughs. "I'd like that."  
"Good. I'll see you, Haversham. Uh, Winters. Teddy Winters." Mozzie nods and then Peter left. As he leaves he heard the sound of Mozzie continuing with his scam. And then he smiled. A thought came to mind as he walked. Maybe he could visit Neal? But, first, he decided to stop by June's, before he heads home.

The four story beautiful home stood as it always does, on the corner of the street. Rows of cars were along it's right hand side and some cars on the left. As he stood in front of the house, thoughts about Neal flashed before his eyes, even the first day he came by to see him here after Neal had gone off to find somewhere to stay (and not take up the apartment that Peter chose). He sighed before going up the steps to knock on the door. A few minutes had gone by and a maid opened it. "Is June Ellington home?" he asked. The maid, a pretty girl about 25 with brown hair and blue eyes, nods her head. He was sure if Neal was here, he'd adore this woman. Probably would've charmed her before conning her, of course. That brought a smile to his face. Up to his own tricks he supposed. He watched as the maid went up the stairs and waited for her to come back down. A few minutes later, June came down the stairs with a look of pain across her face. "Peter!" she exclaimed. She gave him a warm hug. He returned the favor. "What brought you here?"  
"I came to see you. Can I come in?"  
"Of course! Do you want anything to drink?" she asked as he came inside. He shook his head. "I was just cleaning up Neal's apartment."  
"Is someone going to move in?"  
June shook her head. "I need more time to grieve than of doing that. Everything he had is still there. As if he would come home. It feels like that."  
"I understand. Both Mozzie and I still see him. I can't believe this happened."  
"I can't either."  
"How are you though?"  
"I'm alright."  
"Would you like to see the baby?"  
"I would be delighted to! I think naming him Neal is a good way to keep Neal's memory alive."  
Peter smiled. "I think so too. Well, I should go. I am going to visit Neal first before heading home to El and the baby. Do come by, will you?"  
"I would be glad to. Thank you for coming."  
"You're welcome." After he hugged her one last time, he left.

Peter drove up to the cemetery and then got out of the car. He began to shake terribly as he approached the grave. They had a good grave stone picked out for him. It was a maroon grave stone with a cross and flowers on each side. His last name, birth, and death year was all engraved in white letters and "You are Now Free" written below it. He stopped in front of the tall headstone and then knelt down at the grave. "Hey Neal," he said, his voice soft. "Everyone wants to say hello to you. I guess you would like an update of everyone. First, Mozzie and I would see you around. I guess that's the only thing that can keep us from falling apart, right? Anyway, Diana has a new job, Jones is doing his job that he was promoted to, and Elizabeth and I had welcomed a baby boy. We named him after you and in some ways, he's like you! You would have loved him. And June thinks of you too. As I said before and I'll say it again. You're now freed. You don't have to worry about us, anymore. We'll do alright. So, before I go, I want to say thank you. I'll meet up with you one day." He touched the gravestone and then walked away. As he did, breeze came, having some leaves fall onto the gravestone. It was peaceful, just like how he is resting. He was right, Neal is freed.  
THE END.


End file.
